Back country skiing is a popular recreational activity in mountainous regions around the world. As back country skiing requires the ability to climb up mountains, measures must be taken to increase the grip of the ski. This is commonly accomplished by attaching climbing skins to skis. Most current climbing skins are non-rigid and foldable. One side of the climbing skin, that will face the ground when the climbing skin is in use, is covered in a snow adhering substance, such as mohair, which provides traction for the ski. The other side of the climbing skin is glued to the base of the ski. Finally, the climbing skins are further attached to the tip and tail of a ski. When the climbing skins are so attached, they are in “climb mode.” Currently, climbing skins are the best way to ascend while back country skiing.
Climbing skins have significant disadvantages, however. The primary disadvantage is that they are difficult to remove and apply. During a descent, or during “ski mode,” i.e. when the skis are being used normally, without climbing skins attached, the climbing skins are folded up so that the glued side of the skins are facing each other. If they are not kept close to the body so that the glue remains warm, they may lose their stickiness during the descent. In any scenario, however, the skins are difficult to pull apart as they have essentially been glued together. Once the skins are unfolded, the user's ski must be removed in order to glue the skin to the base of the ski and attach the skin at the tip and tail of the ski. Depending on the depth of the snow, removing skis can result in “post holing,” or sinking into the snow, which is, at best a nuisance, and at worst, a serious safety concern. Moreover, in any depth of snow, removing skis can result in the buildup of snow on the bottom of the boot, making it difficult to lock the boot back into the ski binding. When the climb is completed, the user must again remove his skis, remove the skins, fold the skins, place the skins close to his body for body heat for the next use, and put his skis back on. Especially for small mountains that require short climbs, followed by short descents, and then short climbs again, etc . . . , this process becomes very time consuming, and indeed, takes up a large percentage of the overall time spent back country skiing.
In addition, this process only works for as long as the climbing skins' glue remains effective. Several factors can affect this. As mentioned above, if the glue is too cold, it may lose its stickiness, and potentially make it impossible to unfold the climbing skins at all. Also, every time an application or removal of the skins occurs, the glue is exposed to debris from the user's hands and apparel, as well as the outdoors in general. The more debris that sticks to the glue, the less effective the glue will be at sticking to the ski. Finally, climbing through wet areas, such as brooks, will also cause the glue to lose its stickiness.
A few existing products attempt to address some of these issues by eliminating the need for glue. U.S. Pat. App. No. 2008/0185817 to Gyr discloses bonding mohair to flexible cambered plates and cinching these plates against a ski base with straps or snaps. Although this product eliminates glue, some of the difficulties in applying and removing the product remain. Specifically, the user must still remove his ski to properly align the ski with the product and to attach the product to the tip and tail of the ski. Moreover, the snaps and straps contemplated may be difficult to manipulate, especially when the user is wearing thick or bulky gloves or mittens. Finally, it is not clear that the snaps and straps will adequately hold the cambered plates against the ski. U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,234 to Ayliffe and U.S. Patent No. 2010/0140901 to Rogers et al, disclose apparatuses designed to aid in attaching climbing skins to skis, but also do not address all of the issues discussed above.
Thus there is a need for a climbing skin that does not use glue and that is easily applied to and removed from the ski without necessitating removal of the ski.